Donald takes to breaking records like a duck to water

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Nic Donald has beaten Ian Thorpe, thrashed Scott Miller and
out-swum Jon Sieben - without sharing a pool with any of them.

The Hunter Valley 16-year-old has knocked off records held by
some of Australia's top swimmers, marks they set when they were the
same age as Donald.

Donald hopes breaking his heroes' records is a sign of things to
come. "It's a sign, it's a stepping stone," he said yesterday.
"It's not the greatest thing because it's at such a young age but
it's a stepping stone to see where you are and where you can
go."

At 12, Donald broke the 200 metres freestyle record Thorpe had
set when he was 12. A few weeks later, he smashed Miller's under-12
record for the 200m butterfly.

At the NSW age championships on Sunday, he struck again,
breaking a 23-year-old Australian record held by Olympic gold
medallist Sieben. Sieben swam 2 minutes 1.24 seconds in 1982 for
the under-16 200m butterfly and two years later took gold at the
Los Angeles Olympics. Donald's time on Sunday was a trim
2:00.37.

Donald's amazing feats have many wondering if he is a Thorpedo
in the making. At 188 centimetres, he shares Thorpe's trademark
huge "flipper feet" and has broken 47 Australian, Australian
all-comers and state all-comers records.

Donald, though, prefers not to speculate on the possibility of
superstar status. "I don't pay too much attention to that stuff,"
he said yesterday during a break in training for this week's
Australian Youth Olympic Festival. There, Donald also hopes to take
gold for the 200m butterfly and 1500m freestyle - two of the most
gruelling events in swimming.

"It's about endurance. I have always been better at the harder
events," he said.

Donald has been enjoying excellent results lately but admitted
last year was a struggle to return to form after a three-month
hiatus at the end of 2003.

"I had just changed to a new coach and had been on the road for
three months straight. I really just needed a break," he said,
adding that he used the time to sleep in and finish off his school
certificate. "I was just trying to do what a normal kid can do.
Most of the time I am too tired [for that]."

The road back to competition form was long and rocky.

"It was like hell getting back into it," he said. "It's taken
almost a whole year just to get my fitness back up. It's the
hardest thing I've ever been through."

After the youth festival, Donald's next target is the world
championships and beyond. "The big goal is really the Commonwealth
Games next year," he said. "Definitely I hope I will have improved
by then. I still think I have more in me to go."

As for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Donald said he would cross
that bridge when he came to it. "I don't look that far ahead," he
said. "I hope to make Beijing but I like to keep things short
term."

The Australian Youth Olympic Festival runs from January 19 to
23 at venues around Sydney. Entry is free.